The Moonflower Vine ~ by Jetta Carleton, 1962, 1990, fiction, DNF
On a farm in western Missouri during the first half of the 20th century, Matthew and Callie Soames create a life for themselves and raise four headstrong daughters. Jessica will break their hearts, Leonie will fall in love with the wrong man, Mary Jo will escape to New York, and wild child Mathy's fate will be the family's greatest tragedy. Over the decades they will love, deceive, comfort, forgive — and, ultimately, they will come to cherish all the more fiercely the bonds of love that hold the family together.
Risé sent out reminders yesterday that the Fourth Wednesday Book Club will discuss this book today at 1:00 in the library. I told someone I hadn't even started reading it. Oops! I discovered this morning I have a bookmark showing I've read 55 pages. Now I vaguely remember SOME of what I read, maybe a month ago, but obviously it didn't grab me enough to forego other novels. So I'll return it to Risé in a couple of hours, unread, or at least unfinished. Risé's note also says:
"If you haven't started reading it yet, I suggest reading the section about Matthew, page 109."
The six sections of the book are
The Family (pp. 7-44),
Jessica (pp. 45-106),
Matthew (pp. 107-174),
Mathy (pp.175-234),
Leonie (pp. 235-283), and
Callie (pp. 285-318). Here's a quote from the last page, so the character must be Callie, the mother:
"It would be a good day. ... she felt giddy with happiness. Matthew was waiting for her. The children were coming home. And they would watch the moonflowers bloom. Oh, if she never got to heaven, this was enough, this lovely earth with its sunlight and its mornings and something always to look forward to. ... She looked up at the clear sky. 'Thank you,' she said and went home to breakfast" (p. 318).
1 comment:
I have such guilt when someone gives me a book to read and I either don't get to it in a timely way or I don't like it. But, I continue to take recommendations anyway. :-)
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